This invention relates to a pouch for food product or the like and to a method of making, opening, filling and sealing the pouch on an automatic packaging machine. The invention has more particular reference to a pouch whose interior is divided into two separate compartments so that the pouch preferably but not necessarily can hold two different products.
An automatic packaging machine of the same general type which can be used to practice the method of the present invention is disclosed in Johnson et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,700,388. In such a machine, a web, while being advanced along a predetermined path, is folded longitudinally to form two upright side panels connected by a bottom fold. The web is sealed at longitudinally spaced increments to form side seals and then is cut between the edges of each side seal to separate individual pouches from the web. Each pouch then is advanced along a predetermined path and, during the advance, the pouch moves beneath and along an elongated splitter blade which separates the top margins of the pouch so that the side panels may be spread apart and the pouch may be opened widely for filling. After product has been deposited into the pouch, the top margins of the side panels are sealed together to close the upper end of the pouch.